We were about to leave but Marcy comes with her full gear, "I am going too."

"No, guild master. You and Zahariel will remain here and work things out between our human friends and our monster friends. And it is better if you teach your mom how to use her ranger abilities. She hasn't even fired a single arrow on her own. Also, issue cards for them. Ah, mother-in-law. I forgot to tell you but your daughter is the guild master of this settlement."

Mercy jumps and hugs Marcy's neck, moving the girl around like a life-size doll. She doesn't react.

"Marcy, you made it! My daughter is a guild master!" Marcy is embarrassed! Priceless. Unfortunately, there are no cameras in this world.

"Come, Mittens, Emory, Shraaizar. Let's go pick up Helen and kick some sense into that nobleman brat and whatever remained of his 200 knights. Before the sun rises."

"Have a safe war, dear! But don't kill Julius if you can, please. I helped deliver that boy with these very hands."

"Fine. I'll get him alive and make a matching pair with Cloude." Maybe even that green van is not out of reach now. "There are some things about Hrothgar's shenanigans I want to ask him. By the way, can you please try to open the eyes of that boy over there? Maybe he will listen to you. Charmma, please let the other goblins know that if Mrs. Mercy asks she should be allowed to see Cloude."

Zahariel enters the talk, "I think you are all sleep-deprived. You spent 3 days being tortured nonstop, Beowulf. Helen is fine. She can wait one more day."

"I don't care how long she can wait, I can't. I'm going there and I am getting her back now. Before dawn, if I can. Like hell I'm letting my girl spend a minute next to that douchebag if I can avoid it."

He makes a motion like he was going to say something, but stops. He looks at Marcy. Oh, I got it.

"It was unfair of you to dump us back there," She confesses once she has my attention.

I walk to the redhead's side and hug her, "You are worried, right?" She nods. I give her a gentle peck on the lips, "I am sorry for sending you to retreat. But if they touched you too, I'd go berserk right there. Helen knows what she is doing, I hope. But now your mom got involved, and I can't take you and leave them as the only humans in the settlement."

"Before the sun rises, right? Please take me with you. Do the same to me as you did to mom!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Zahariel and Kochurearc can handle this place. Just don't leave me behind. And facing Julius as Marcy will be easier than facing him as Beowulf. I know both of them better than you. Let's fight as one!"

Her enthusiasm is faked. She shot me down back when I got the Possession skill and now is offering herself like that? There is something on her mind, but I won't try to find out what is it. Eventually, she will let it out and Marcy is terrible under pressure. She shuts down.

"I understand. Please come with me." I kiss her and use the skill.

The feeling of Marcy's body is similar to Mercy's. After fighting for most of the night in her skin, I'm used to handling this. Marcy is younger and her responses are sharper.

I join hands... paws... and scythe together and teleport back to Alvus' now empty storeroom.

Marcy wastes no time to begin the chat, "How is the feeling of being inside of me?"

"It is great! There is some tingling here and there, but I'll adapt to it soon." I could feel her embarassment. What is wrong?

"Mission Start! Emory lets go pick Helen up! But before getting out, Mittens can you please call Helen?"

The blood mantis should be in range to contact Helen telepathically now.

"Helen is angry at you!" Mittens says. I was hoping at having a conversation with Mittens as a kind of cell phone.

"Marcy, help me here, please."

"Sure. Repeat what I say."

I remember that scene when Patrice Swayer used Whooper Goldbug's body to make out with his former girlfriend and they had the male actor in the set because putting two girls making out in the big screen would be too awkward given the morals of society at that time.

Seal strength decreased 3%

It is very similar to what is going on here, except it is Marcy and Helen talking. Helen is using Mittens, Marcy is using me that is using her body. I'm confused and just stopped trying to process this kind of high-level girl talk. I just repeat the words. At least Marcy can hear, so I don't have to relay what Mittens is saying to her via telepathy.

What I grasped was:

Helen and Mercy stayed behind to keep the wagon from being looted.

After we went to the guild, some spotters gave the signal.

Julius had the knights rush into town and captured both women and the wagon with a small force hiding in the town hall.

Julius offered to keep Mercy unharmed if Helen joined him.

The new guild master was indeed supposed to stall us.

Helen has spent these 3 days avoiding Julius' sexual advances and trying to put some sense in his head. She thinks she has almost convinced him of letting us go from prison and plant flowers along the outer wall. Okay, the flowers part is my spiteful self talking.

But now I had gone and done it because I slaughtered all the knights except the ones stationed at the walls and those at the lord's manor as honor guards.

"Marcy, I am greatly thankful for having you here. I would not be able to have this conversation without your help."

"You are welcome, darling."

"Is Helen daydreaming about this whole 'convince Julius' charade? I think he is stalling her for time."

"Sounds like that. I think she is glossing things over again. Julius always made her assume this little defenseless girl persona. We should go get her and then sort things out from there."

"Alright. Helen, Marcy and I are going there to pick you up. Emory, you come with me. Shraaizar and Mittens will stay hidden here so we can talk. if any humans come searching the place, don't kill them. Neutralize only."

Mittens relays Helen's will, "She said not to come. She is very angry that you killed and blew up the knights."

"I understand the feeling. Being thrown in jail without reason makes people want to break stuff. Like a certain someone that created a wood golem, broke a wall and left. Please tell her exatlly this, Mittens."

"I dislike being a messenger." The mantis crossed the scythes.

"I pay you two bundles of smoked roc meat."

"Deal." The payment was immediate. I'll get one for Shraaizar from the item box too. I hope she doesn't swallow it whole. Nope, too late.

"It is odd hearing Grendel ssspeaking with Marcy'sss body and voice."

"Is it better this way, Shraaizar. Please keep company to Mittens. We will call for you if need arises."

"Yesss, Grendel. I'll do as you asssk."

I put Emory in an empty rucksack and strap him across my back. The mouth of the backpack is open but the flap is down, so he can get out whenever he wants. Sneaking around the empty clinic, I get past the patient's rooms... Shit. The clinic is not empty. "Shraaizar, there are two humans sleeping in this building. They are not to be harmed."

One of the reasons I brought Emory is because Helen can use his senses any time she wants. She can even cast spells through her familiar's link. In a sense, she is right here with us if she wishes to.

Marcy's stats boosted by the possession make her an almost perfect ninja. I slipped undetected through town, even with several people awake and some out on the streets. There is a smoke column rising from the garrison.

Undaunted, I, the nimble girl made my way through town to the lord's estate. I should hold back on these long-term possessions. My way of thinking is getting strange again.

"Are you thinking of strange things, darling? You are making a pouting face."

"I was just thinking that I am getting too used to be... you. It is very comfortable."

"Do I feel better... than mom?" Who is this insecure and mentally fidgeting Marcy?

"The feeling is similar but yes, Marcy's body is more flexible, stronger and faster than mother-in-law's."

"That is not what I... forget it." And she retreats to the back of her head and shuts up.

I swear I can't understand women. It is the second time I'm one tonight and nope. I can't understand them. Is this the reason she insisted on going with the possession route? SHe was jealous of her mom and I having a little knight-slaughtering night out?

She kept silent as I jump over the estate walls, cross the lawn and enter the house through an open window. It is a conservatory. There are some musical string instruments, padded couches that look expensive.

I've had enough of this quiet.

"If any of you two don't say anything against, I am going to loot all the furniture in this house."

"..." "..." Emory in the rucksack does not react. And Marcy in her head keeps her silence.

The conservatory was looted clean, including the tapestry and the musical instruments.

Room by room the house becomes empty. I avoid a servant going through a corridor by jumping and clinging to the ceiling. Totally ninja style.

"Marcy, I got an idea on how to deal with Julius. I need your help though. Please talk to me."

"..." I enter and loot two other rooms before finding an empty bedroom with the key in the lock. I lock it and go sit on the bed.

"Okay, I admit. Marcy's body feels great, much better than Mercy's. Her breasts are firmer and rounder, her hips sway better, her skin is smoother, her lips fuller even her hair is softer and brighter."

I pull a silver mirror near the bed and slowly untie the straps of her armor, making sure I can see and keeping our eyesight focused on the slowly undressing movements of Marcy's body in the mirror. Yes, this girl is hot. There was not a single lie in what I told her.

"In fact, it feels so awesome that I am going to undress us here, go to that bed and make us feel so good we are going to climb to the heavens."

My plan to ruse her worked, because I could feel her consciousness resurfacing and she finally yells at me.

"Yo-you idiot! What are you doing? Stop undressing me! This is a rescue mission, for crying out loud!! I-if you want to fu-fool around using my body you can do it later! Beowulf, you are a total jerk!

Tsundere redhead is the best! "Oh, hey, hello gorgeous. It was lonely here in your head without you. How are you doing? Say, I am feeling strange, my fingertips and other places are tingling and my stomach feels very hot. What is wrong with you-us?"

"Idiot! If you don't know, don't ask!"

"Good, I won't. You said something about a rescue, care to help a guy out here? I need your help to defeat Julius easier."

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have this guild crystal here with me, teach me the chant to activate it." I take out the crystal from the item box and something in my cleavage buzzes.

"You don't have to activate it. It is already active, the guild field is on. The linked guildmaster is alive. You can't take over this crystal. And you haven't trained the receptionist job."

Using Marcy's skills, we contain the guild field to a minimum. I stow the guild crystal in the rucksack below Emory.

"Helen, if you feel like communicating with us, please do. We are coming for you now. Emory, is Helen reacting?" The rat shrugs.

Again I empty the room and we move upstairs. That bed is better than mine.

We hear a commotion. In the tactical map, I confirm it is from the room Helen is in.

It is Showtime!